Hunger and Poverty

Hunger and poverty often go hand in hand, but poverty is not the ultimate determinant of food insecurity. People living above the poverty line are often at risk of hunger as well. Research demonstrates that unemployment, rather than poverty, is a better predictor of food insecurity among people living in the United States.

The most recent government data collected shows that in 2012,

46.5 million people (15 percent) were in poverty, including 16.1 million (22 percent) children under the age of 18.

49 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including nearly 16 million children.